Shoulder strap pads



A11g- 28, 1962 H. B. DQPYERA 3,050,734

SHOULDER STRAP PADS Filed Dec. 21, 1959 FIG. j.

I NVEN TOR. HABE/E7' B. Dom/ERA fi Patented Aug. 23, 1962 3,656,734 SHULDER STRAP PADS Harriet B. Dopyera, lSSSl/z Harbor Blvd., @esta Mesa, Calif. Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 361,059 4 Claims. (Cl. 2 2) This invention pertains -to new and improved shoulder strap pads.

A number of diierent garments are constructed so as to include straps which extend over the shoulders of an individual. Because of the nature of such garments and various stresses and strains placed upon them during their use considerable pressure is not infrequently exerted upon fthe shoulders of an individual through such straps. Since these straps are normally yof comparatively small 'dimension as far las width is concerned, 4and `are of an extreme 1y ilexible character, the stresses and strains incurred during the use of such garments are concentrated in relatively small yareas. As a consequence of these factors a good many individuals have diiiiculty in comfortably Wearing various garments of the type indicated in ythe preceding discussion.

The problems indicated in the preceding discussion as being attendant to the use of garments supported by shoulder straps are not conlined to the lclothing lield, however. Similar problems are found wherever straps are used to support a weight upon the shoulders of an individual. Thus, for example, hikers and the like carrying various types of back packs and related equipment frequently suer from a certain amount of shoulder lfatigue caused by straps cutting into their shoulders. Problems of this category lare `also encountered by individuals carrying heavy camera cases, and various other articles.

A lbroad object of the present invention is yto provide new and improved shoulder strap pads for use in distributing forces exerted through straps upon the shoulders of an individual. Another object of the present mvention is to provide shoulder strap pad-s which may be easily and conveniently manufactured at a comparatively nominal cost, and which, although inexpensive, are very effective for the purpose intended and are very easily utilized by an individual. These and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more fully apparent from detailed considerations of the remainder of this specilication including the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of `a presently preferred embodiment of a shoulder strap pad of this invention;

FIG. 2 is Ia cross-sectional view, taken at line 2 2 of FIG. l; y

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken at line 4 4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modied shoulder strap pad of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken at line 6 6 of FIG. 5.

Those skilled in the lart to which this invention pertains will realize from a consideration of the accompanying. drawing and of the remainder of this specification that a number of differently appearing shoulder strap pads may be designed and constructed on the basis of this disclosure through the use of routine design skill or ability. For fthis reason the accompanying drawing is not to be considered as limiting `this invention in any respect.

As an aid to understanding this invention it may be stated in essentially summary form that it concerns shoulder strap pads, each of which includes an elongated, somewhat ilexible backing strip having ends; Ia resilient pad attached to one side of this b-acking strip, this pad covering substantially all of .the backing strip; and Iat least two strap holders located generally at the other side of the backing strip, these strap holders being aligned with one another Iand being adapted to hold a shoulder strap so that such shoulder strap extends across this other side of 'the backing strtip between the ends of it.

The actual nature of this invention will be more fully 'apparent from a detailed consideration of the accompanying drawing. In the initial 4ligure of the drawing there is shown Ia shoulder strap pad lll of the present invention having yaligned ends 12 and sides 14 which are curved in a symmetrical manner so that the width of the pad l0 at its center between the `ends l2 is greater than the width of the pad lt) adjacent to the ends of the pad l0. With the pad lll `there is used an elongated backing strip 16 and `an elongated resilient pad 1'3. The backing .strip 16 is smaller than the pad 18, although `both have the same external shape. They both include side edges 14 and ends 12 as previously described, these sideV edges 14 and these ends 12 on the backing strip lo and the pad 18 being located immediately adjacent .to one another.

The backing strip 16 is preferably formed out of a somewhat exible, yet somewhat stiff material, capable of distributing a load placed upon it by a strap 2li located so as to extend between the ends l2 over a comparatively wide or large area as compared to the area of this strap 2i). A number of diilerent materials can, of course, be used in forming the backing strip Sie. It is presently preferred to form this backing strip 16 out of thermoplastic material having a limited amount of flexibility. Particularly favorable results have been achieved using such materials having a flexural strength of in excess of 4,060 psi. such as medium or low density polyethylene, various vinyl polymers and copolymers, various nylon molding compositions, various synthetic rubber or the like. The entire backing strip lo should preferably be of a solid nature and should not contain various pores or the like such as are commonly found in foamed materials. However, for purposes of ventilation it is preferred to space periodically throughout the backing strip small holes 22 which extend between sides 24 and 26 of this backing strip.

The side 26 of the backing strip is attached by an appropriate known adhesive (not shown), by fusion or by other means known to the plastics art to the pad 1S. This pad 18 is preferably formed out of a flexible, resilient, foamed composition such as, for example, natural rubber, neoprene, butadiene-styrene copolymers, polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane materials. It is presently preferred that the pad i3 be of an opencell category in that the various cells or pores within lit are largely connected to one another. This is preferred since with this type of structure a certain amount of ventilation is achieved through the pad 18, and the holes 22.

In order to satisfactorily hold the shoulder strap 20 upon the complete pad l0 it is preferred to locate upon the side 24 of the backing strip lo at least two strap holders 28. In the complete shoulder pad 10 these holders 2S are formed as apart of the strip 16 and are located intermediate the ends l2 so as to be spaced from one another and so as to each be located adjacent to one of these ends. The holders 28 consist of small, elongated strap portions 30 which extend from the body of the backing strip 16 across elongated openings 32 of greater length than width, the lengths of these openings 32 corresponding to, and being slightly greater than the width of the strap 29. The openings 32 are located parallel to the ends l2. These strap portions 30 include ends 34 which are adapted to fit within raised pockets 36 formed generally beneath the side 24 of the backing strip 16. Preferably the strap portions 36 and the pockets 36 are formed integrally with the entire backing strip 16 through the use of known injection molding processes or the like.

When this is done the interiors of the pockets 36 are located generally adjacent to theside 26 of the backing strip 16 between it and the pad 18. L Y

n With the shoulder strap pad it is presently preferred toutilize parallel longitudinal ridges 40 extending between the ends 12, which ridges are designed so as to loosely engage the edges of a strap such as the strap 20 so as to hold this strap in proper alignment between theends `12 along the side 24 at all times. It is also preferred to Vutilize cross ridges 42 located closely adjacent to,`but

v this backing strip.

With -the complete shoulder strap pad 10 the holders 28 may be actuated so as to attach the strap 20 to this pad by first withdrawing the strap portions 30 from the pockets 36. The strap 20 may then be laid in the position illustrated extendingbetween the :two ends 12. VAt this point the strap portions 30 may be reinserted within the pockets' 36. Normally no Vadditional means are necessary in order to hold the strap 20 with respect to the complete pad 10. However,V in order to provide for various ab- .normalY forces which might tend to dislodge the strap 20 it is preferred to locate upon the ends 34 small bumps 44 which are adapted to fit within the correspondingly shaped depressions 46 iwithin the interiorstof the pockets 36 when the Vstrap portions 30 are placed within these pockets. It is also preferred to form these strap portions 30 so that Ywhen they are released to an' unstressed position they extend away from the -side of the backing strip 16. When the strap portions 30are formed of materials as indicated so as to'be integral with the backing strip 16 in this manner they tend to spring `away from the pad 18 when used so as to firmly latch the ends 34'of these strapV portions 30 within the pockets 36. y

' When the strap portions 30 are used as described -in the preceding they serve to deform the strap l20 in substantially a U-shaped coniiguration as indicated in FIG. 4

so that this strap bears -directly against the cross ridges 42. As a result of the configuration forced upon the .strap 2,0 as indicated in FIG. 4 a strap Such as the strap V20 is firmly held by the complete pad 10 so that there is little tendency for relativeA motion to occur such a strap and the complete shoulder strap pad 10.

In FIG. 5 of the drawing there is shown a modified shoulder strap pad of the present invention which is essentially similar to the shoulder strap pad 10 previously described. For convenience of description those parts yof the padrS() which are identical to, or substantially identical to corresponding parts of the pad 10, are not vseparately described herein, and are designated both in v this description and the accompanying drawing bythe primes of the numerals previously employed to designate such parts.

VThe pad 50 is of :a generally rectangular coniiguration and uses straight `side edges 14' instead of curved side edges as utilized [inthe pad 10. In the pad 50 a layer of protective fabric 52 is located around the resilient pad 18' and is folded under this pad so as to be held in place by being bonded to both it and the strip 16 adjacent to the surface 26 through the use of the same means used to secure the pad 18 and the strip 16 to one'another. This fabric layer 52 tends to protect this pad 18 against various factors tending Vto damage it. In theI pad S0 the Yvarious ridges and the like utilized in the pad 10 are not employed since they are not required in order to form a satisfactory complete shoulder strap pad, although in many cases they are most desir-ably utilized.

A It is generally preferred to form the pad 50 of heavier gage materials than are employed in the pad 10 so as to utilize this pad S0 with various heavy straps such as shoulder case straps, knapsack straps and the like. Because of shape, and size and anti-slipping features it is normally preferred to utilize the shoulder strap 10 with various garments of a personal nature so as .to serve as v protectors for the shoulders of an individual. y

It will be realized from Ka consideration of the aforegoing that a numberrof differently"appearing shoulder strap pads falling Within the scope of this invention may be designed through the use of routine engineering skill or ability. For this reason the present invention is to be considered as being limited Yonly by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

I claim: l. A shoulder str-ap pad which comprises:

an elongated backingl strip Vformed'of a thermoplastic n material having a limited amount of flexibility, said strip having substantially a flat top and a flat bottomV and having opposed ends, and being adapted to be used in conjunction with a shoulder strap extending across said top side between said ends, said backing strip including ltwo openings Yextending 4between said top and said bottom, each of ysaid openings being located adjacent to one of said ends, said open-` ings extending across the path taken by a shoulder strap extending between said ends of said. backing strip, said Vbacking strip including integral strap means formedthereon at one extremity of each of said openings onV one side path and integralpooket means for receiving and holding an end Vvof one of said strap means located on the .other side of said path Y at an extremty of each of said openings; Ia flexible, resilient foam pad secured to said backing strip so as yto extend along and cover said bottom side of said backing strip, said exible resilientfoam pad being spaced from said pocket means so that a shoulder strap may be located Yso as to extend along said path and said strap means may be placed over Y` 3. A shoulder Vstrap pad as defined in claim l includ-V ing ridge means for engaging'the side edges of a shoulder strapV extending across said top in order to hold Vsaid shoulder strap in place on said top of said backing str-ip, formed on said *top of said backing strip `so as to extend generally between said ends Yof, said backing strip.

4. A shoulder strap pad as Idened in claim 1 including ridge means for engaging a shoulder strap in order to prevent movement between said strap and said backing strip, said ridge means being formed on said top adjacent to said openings land said strap means.

YReferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .UNTTED STATES PATENT oTTTCE CE'HFCATE 0F CO? @'LECTEN Patent No. 3,050,734 August 28, 1962 Harriet B Dopyera It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.,

Column 2, line 7, for "strtip" read strip column 4, line 33, after "side" insert of said line 36, forl "extremty" read extremity Signed and sealed this 19th day of February 1963.

(SEAL) Attest:

ESTON G., JOHNSON DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner ofk Patents 

